The Celtics do not have the salary-cap space to sign Lee for what he is worth, so the next-best option is a sign-and-trade with the Rockets, the team that just pulled Lee’s qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Lee, who averaged 11.4 points per game last season in Houston, said he would like to get something done with the Celtics.

“Me and Doc, we’ve always had a relationship since I’ve been in the NBA,” he said. “I’m a friend of both of his kids, Austin and Jeremiah. We work out together, always see each other. Me and Doc always speak. There’s interest there, but there was no verbal agreement or anything, just hearing each other out. He expressed his interest. I expressed my interest.